


Something New Something Natural

by retribution



Category: Free!
Genre: Bathtubs, Cooking, Freckles, M/M, Swimming, Walks On The Beach, bonding through mackerel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-02
Updated: 2016-06-22
Packaged: 2018-03-20 21:04:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3664944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/retribution/pseuds/retribution
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Little moments between Haruka and Momotarou, before their summer ends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

He was annoying and pushy and loud, always calling out for Gou when she did not seem to return the attention. Haruka did not like any of these things about Momotarou. For the most part, he had been content with ignoring the bright noisiness that marked the younger Mikoshiba brother’s presence whenever they were invited by Rin to Samezuka Academy.

In the water, however, Momotarou became a different creature.  Just as Rin had boasted, he was a naturally talented swimmer, who at fifteen easily outperformed all of the older, more experienced team members for the prized leading spot on the medley relay team.  Momotarou swam backstroke effortlessly, and never seemed winded despite the speed and energy in his stroke or how long he had been practicing.  It was because the water accepted him without hesitation, Haruka thought, unlike anyone else.  Only Rin could match that level of feeling, and Rin had to train for years to gain and deserve such acceptance.  As far as Haruka could tell, Momotarou never had to fight.  Perhaps it was due to his older brother’s influence as an exceptional swimmer.  But he thought it was more because Momotarou never had to think.

To think too much was to allow doubt into your heart, which disturbed your inner self.  The water could sense that discontent, and it would fight back the moment you faltered and got swept away by the outside world.  That was why Makoto sometimes struggled to swim, Nagisa occasionally as well, and Rei and Rin always, always. 

If Momotarou remained his usual self, his joyous, reckless, simple self, then he would never suffer the way Haruka had suffered, the way Makoto and Rin and Rei still suffered.  That was a strange thought to have crept into Haruka’s mind, as he watched Momotarou, for once instead of Makoto, touch the wall of the pool just half a second after Makoto.  Still… he meant it, with all of his heart.

_We all have to change.  But I hope you never do, for as long as possible._

 

* * *

 

 

The only person still left in the water after the joint practice ended was Haruka, who swam quietly by himself up and down his lane, while the others discussed training regimens at the poolside.  As noiselessly as he could, Momotarou drifted over to where Haruka had stopped to take a breather, curious about this rival of Rin-senpai and Sousuke-senpai.  With his face halfway submerged under the water, he paddled around Haruka, and just as the other swimmer looked up and met his glance, he twisted onto his back to continue the circle, eyes still trained onto Haruka’s as he lazily propelled himself onward with the backstroke.  Haruka said nothing, just watched Momotarou swim around him, turning slightly occasionally to focus on him.

Grinning, Momotarou slid onto his stomach once more, arms outstretched for the front crawl, legs slicing through the water neatly as he swam, dodging the lane dividers without difficulty.  It was a trick he had come up with to amuse himself during those hours spent accompanying his brother at the Sano swim club pool; switching strokes partway through, twisting like an otter through the water from his back to his front and back again.  Something fun to show off, whenever he didn’t feel like struggling to beat a personal best, which was often.

Momotarou then noticed Haruka leaning forward into the water just behind him, eyes narrowing slightly, and with a loud laugh that caught everyone else’s attention, he darted forward with a burst of energy, swimming free as fast as he could.   Of course, Haruka easily caught up to him halfway down the lane, grabbed his ankle and pulled him to a shrieking, splashing halt.

“Oi, Momo, stop bothering Haru and get up here!” Rin shouted.

The spell broken, Momotarou turned to Haruka and said earnestly, “Next time, you won’t catch me so quickly, Nanase-san!”

Haruka’s expression did not change noticeably, but there was a hint of a smile that flickered across his face.  “I look forward to it,” was his reply, serious as always.

Satisfied that he had been acknowledged as a potential rival, even if might take him a year or two to hope to reach Haruka’s level (and by then, Haruka would be long since graduated,) Momotarou exited the pool beaming with excitement.  His brother’s impossibly impressive records in nearly every stroke, always a source of frustration for him in the past, now seemed like reasonable goals, if he ever hoped to match or beat Haruka’s own prowess in the future.

He only heard Haruka speak to him once more, as the Iwatobi members were exiting the facility.

“See you soon, Momotarou.”

   


	2. Chapter 2

The small kitchen had gotten noticeably crowded as dinner preparations began, Sousuke looming over Haruka and making disapproving noises at whatever culinary decision Haruka made, Rin and Rei naturally trailing in afterwards and adding unnecessary commentary, and in the void they left behind in the main room, Makoto and Nagisa were drawn along after their wake, until Nitori and finally Momotarou joined the group out of fear of being forgotten.  Haruka’s expression grew more and more disgruntled, but he kept his focus on the pots and pans instead of the conversation around him. 

It was Momotarou’s reaching for the sizzling contents of his pan that caused Haruka to snap out of his silence.  He grabbed Momotarou’s hand to stop him from sneaking a taste.

“It’s hot.”

“But it smells too good, Nanase-san!”

With his chopsticks, Haruka picked out a piece of fish, blew on it once to cool it, and then popped it into a surprised Momotarou’s open mouth.

Silence descended, sharp as a cleaver.  The looks of horrified betrayal on Makoto’s and Rei’s faces could not even be partly ameliorated by Nagisa’s expression of confusion mixed with growing amusement.  Momotarou himself was momentarily too surprised to chew the piece of mackerel, but he recovered and swallowed and exclaimed his appreciation, not that anyone was paying any attention.

Haruka suddenly seemed to realize what he had done, and he turned to drop the chopsticks into the sink, as if that would erase the fact that a tiny blush had colored his cheeks for just a second.  But Sousuke had seen.  And so had Rin.

“Haru-chan, I want to try some, too!” Nagisa called out, bounding over to Haruka.

“You can eat it with everyone else, it’s ready now,” Haruka told him, moving the pan aside to a trivet and then inspecting the other pot boiling away.  Everyone shuffled around, Sousuke retrieving a serving dish for the fish as Makoto and Nitori gathered bowls for rice.  With nothing to do, Momotarou left for the dining area after the others.

* * *

 

The eight of them had to crowd around the table, but they all appreciated the filling home-cooked meal and each other’s company, at least for the most part.  Little disagreements of course bubbled up now and then, with such clashing temperaments gathered in close proximity, but dessert in the form of flavored ice prepared by Rei soon took care of any lingering discontent.

Since he had done most of the cooking that evening, Haruka was relieved of dish-washing duties, but still he lingered in the kitchen while Nitori and Rei and Momotarou, the youngest of the group, slaved away at the sink.  Hearing their energetic chatter, how they got along so well despite their differences, brought up a pang of wistfulness in Haruka’s chest.  Not that he envied the likes of Nagisa or Makoto, who always knew what to say, or in Nagisa’s case, knew how to get away with saying anything… But it would be nice, he thought, to be able to talk so easily, to be understood without having to explain so much.

Having finished drying his stack of dishes, Momotarou made straight for Haruka, who could not back out of the kitchen quickly enough to avoid being noticed.

“Nanase-san!” Momotarou practically bellowed, and Haruka winced.

“Nanase-san!” he continued in slightly lower volume.  “That mackerel was delicious!  Do you have any more left?”

“No, we ate it all.”

“Awww!”

“But… if I make any more of this dish, and there are leftovers… you can have some.”

“Really?!”

Haruka nodded and Momotarou threw his arms about him, loudly expressing his excitement and vowing to come at any opportunity for more of Haruka’s mackerel.  Unable to free himself, Haruka shot a stony glare at Nitori and Rei, who were watching them with dread and fascination, as if they were witnessing a horrific train accident being replayed over and over on television, with every gruesome gory detail highlighted in slow motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can tell I am stuck with my other fics because I'm updating this one instead lmao


	3. Chapter 3

“Nanase-san!  Hello, Nanase-san!”

Haruka was instantly torn between regret at picking up what turned out to not be a phone call from Rin after he managed to successfully avoid picking up the phone for three weeks and intense curiosity as to why Momotarou was calling him from Rin’s phone.

“Ahh, sorry, Haru, Momo took my mobile phone from me,” he heard Rin’s voice through the line over the sound of Momotarou exclaiming various greetings.  “I didn’t give him your number so he found my phone and dialed you while my back was turned.”

“Nanase-san, are you free this weekend?  We should swim together again!”

The truth was, Haruka almost never had any plans that didn’t involve the others taking great pains to convince him to go out of his house, but he was not about to admit that to Rin or Momotarou.  So he asked, “Don’t you all have practice?”  Or anything else to do, for that matter.

“Nah, the coach said we deserved a break from training, so there’s no practice this weekend.  I’m heading back home, but if you don’t want me to bring Momo, just say the word, Haru, I’ll see if I can get Mikoshiba to pick him up.”

Another thing he resented about Rin, always forcing him to make decisions.  “You can do whatever you want.”

“For the love of God, Haru.  Decide.”

“Please, Nanase-san!” Momotarou begged.  “Let’s swim together!”

“Where would we swim?”

“Don’t you have the keys to your pool?” Rin snapped.

“Makoto keeps them.”

“We can swim in the Iwatobi swim club, can’t we?” Momotarou asked.  “Or what about the ocean?  Oh, let’s have a picnic at the beach, Nanase-san.”

“…I’ll get the keys from Makoto,” Haruka finally muttered.

Laughing aloud, Rin said, “Sounds good.  I’ll drop the brat off Saturday morning at ten, okay?”

Haruka sighed, not quite relishing the way this conversation portrayed Rin and himself as divorced parents bouncing their attention-starved child back and forth between them.  In the background, Momotarou was making ecstatic noises, and there came a muffled sound of probably him clutching at Rin in his joy.

 

* * *

 

 

Momotarou had been doing his best to curb his enthusiasm throughout the train ride, but Rin could feel him practically vibrating in the next seat over from excitement.  He couldn’t begin to guess why Momotarou was so caught up by Haruka’s swimming, at least any more than the average spectator would, but it had been pretty entertaining to hear Haruka, of all people, cave in to his demands.  Even Sousuke put up a better fight against Momotarou’s capriciousness, and Sousuke was just a giant gummy bear with a soft, mushy cream filling.  But then again, Haruka did show a particular sort of patient fondness for Nagisa, so maybe this was the same thing?

Nagisa, while gregarious and bubbly, was not maddeningly in your face, though; he had at least some awareness of the atmosphere.  Not for the first time, Rin wondered why he brought Momotarou along with him when he could have spent this weekend in his mother and sister’s company without having to worry about his teammates, especially the most annoying one.

“Rin-senpai,” Momotarou whispered anxiously, distracting Rin from his thoughts.  “Do… you think Nanase-san will like Pyunsuke?”

“You brought a stag beetle with you?!”

“Well, I wasn’t sure if Nitori-senpai would remember to feed him!”

“Ugh.  I don’t really know, Momo.  Haru… is different.  Maybe he will, maybe he won’t.  Just try to tone down your… yourself around him,” Rin said, vaguely gesturing to all of Momotarou.

“Nanase-san is really important to you, right, Rin-senpai?” Momotarou asked.

Rin nodded, smiling.  “He’s important to a lot of people.  His swimming, of course, but… he is a special person, too, once you get to know him.”  He reached over and ruffled Momotarou’s hair.  “So don’t make him mad at me for bringing you to visit, okay?”

“I’ll be on my best behavior!” Momotarou chirped in reply. “I just want to swim with Nanase-san, any chance I get.”

“I can’t believe you’re not tired of swimming yet,” Rin muttered.  He had pushed them all pretty hard in order to prepare for the tournament, so he hadn’t even packed a swimsuit in his own duffel bag.  Momotarou probably brought two.  “Hey, we’re almost there, you got everything, Momo?”

“Yeah!” 

The train soon arrived at the station in Iwatobi, and after Rin saw Momotarou off at Haruka’s doorstep, reminding Haruka to not poison his backstroke swimmer, to which Haruka just snorted, he made his way towards his grandmother’s house. Hoping he did the right thing.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lmao, you can tell I don't want to work on rinrei whenever I update this fic...

Haruka, to his credit, did not shut the door in Momotarou’s face right away, although for a moment, he did look as if he was considering it.  Instead, he stepped to the side to let Momotarou in to his house once Rin left.  Momotarou gave him a hug of thanks that was probably subdued compared to his usual, but ranked almost up there with Nagisa’s hugs in terms of energy and intensity.  With a quiet, almost fond huff, Haruka mumbled, “It’s nothing.”

“Are you ready to go swimming, Nanase-san?” Momotarou asked after peeling himself away.

“Already? You just got here.”  This was so awkward, Haruka thought, shifting from one foot to the other uncomfortably.  He shouldn’t have invited someone over, someone he barely knew, someone too much to handle for anyone who did know him; where was Makoto when he needed him?

“Aren’t _you_ ready?  I am!” Momotarou responded.  Yanking down the front of his shorts a little, he demonstrated quite unnecessarily that he was already wearing his swimsuit under his clothes.

Somewhat reluctantly, Haruka nodded, he had answered the door in his club t-shirt and jammers in fact, and it occurred to him that this would be why Makoto could not be here now.  Today was a day just for the two of them.  Makoto, try as he might, could not understand, Rin certainly would not want to understand.  The only reason he felt awkward around Momotarou was because they were not swimming at the moment.  The solution?  To go swimming as soon as possible.

* * *

 

Because he could be a responsible adult in Makoto’s absence if he really wanted to be, Haruka made sure to show Momotarou where the futon was stored, helped him put away his stuff, even listened to him talk about his stag beetle collecting as he set the jar on top of Haruka’s desk and put some food in for Pyunsuke to eat later.  Then it was time for them to eat a light meal together, nothing that would weigh them down before swimming, and they filled up water bottles and packed their bags with towels and fresh clothes and snacks.  Finally, after a pleasant walk in the warm morning sunshine, with Momotarou chattering about everything he could think of, and Haruka nodding every now and then, the two arrived at the Iwatobi High pool.  Haruka unlocked the gate, and Momotarou darted ahead, whooping in his excitement.  In no time, the two of them had stripped to their swimsuits and were diving from the starting blocks into the water.

Sun-warmed on the surface, but refreshingly cool deeper below, the water welcomed them serenely as they splashed and dove and swam to their heart’s content.   Momotarou challenged Haruka to race a handful of times, and while he swam his fastest, he could never come close to beating Haruka in the front crawl.  Still, he did not seem overly discouraged, vowing to train harder.

Haruka gave him an amused look from under a lock of wet hair.  “Concentrate on your backstroke instead.  You shouldn’t let your team down by getting distracted.”

“I won’t!  See?”  As if to prove it, Momotarou flipped to his back and swam down the length of the lane in his signature style, cutting through the water readily, blithely impervious to any outside influence.  For a second, it almost looked as if he would hit his head against the wall at the rate he was swimming, but he did the flip just in time, his smaller body completing the turn neatly.

“Hey, Nanase-san, how was that?” Momotarou shouted as soon as he surfaced.  “I was fast, huh?!”

Despite his loyalty to Makoto, Haruka nodded in reply, and Momotarou was beside himself with pride.

 

* * *

 

 

Even the most water-loving swimming fanatics could not stay in the pool forever, and when the laughter had gone out of Momotarou’s splashing and the sparkle out of Haruka’s freestyle, they decided it was time to leave.  Time to put up the equipment, time to shower and dry themselves off and change into clean clothes.  Haruka locked the gate again, and Momotarou sighed wistfully at his side.

“I liked swimming outside,” he said, almost half to himself.  “I like seeing the clouds and sunlight.”

“Samezuka’s pool has a glass ceiling.”

“Yeah, but you can’t feel the wind or hear the birds sing inside.  It’s fun to swim somewhere different.  With someone different…”

Haruka shrugged.  He preferred an inside pool, did not like the possibility of anything contaminating the purity of the water, like leaves and dirt and bacteria.  But for someone who always swam inside an air-conditioned building, he could see how it might be nice to swim out in the fresh air once in a while.

* * *

 

 

It was still early in the afternoon, they ought to be eating a late lunch at Haruka’s place now, but somehow, he was being dragged down to the beach by Momotarou, who, despite his slenderness, really could haul a person along without breaking a sweat.  Haruka swore he looked away for just one second, just to find a less-sandy place to put their backpacks, and when he glanced up, Momotarou had disappeared. No trace left of him but his t-shirt and sandals by the shoreline.  Haruka called out his name once or twice, but did not hear or see the other boy.  Calmly, without panicking, he took off his shirt and shorts and marched into the water.

Almost immediately, he was dragged down by a riptide or a mermaid or a sea monster.  Or just Momotarou.  Struggling to his feet, completely soaked once more, Haruka glared at Momotarou, silently scolding him for worrying him like that.  Didn’t he live in a seaside town as well, didn’t he realize how dangerous and unpredictable the ocean could be? 

“Look, Nanase-san, look what I found for you,” Momotarou said, holding out in his hands two almost undamaged oyster shells, gleaming with mother of pearl on their interior surfaces, their narrow ends touching almost in the shape of a heart.

“Do you like them?”

He had seen plenty of shells washed up on the beach before, had never been particularly fond of collecting them like other children, but catching Momotarou’s bright, adoring gaze, Haruka quickly averted his eyes and nodded, hoping that it was just the sun on his cheeks and not a blush. “…Thanks, Momotarou.”

With a shy smile lighting up his face, Momotarou rinsed the shells off in the seawater, and wrapped them carefully in his sandy shirt.  His swim trunks were wet, but as Rin had predicted, he had brought another pair with him and changed into them while Haruka held a towel up for some semblance of privacy.  In a contented and tired silence, they walked along the beach for as long as they could, toes digging into the sand, waves briskly tugging at their ankles, sea breeze stirring their drying hair, until they had to take the road up the hill to Haruka’s house. 

For the two of them, Haruka put together a much needed lunch of leftovers, mackerel and brown rice and cabbage salad, and soon afterwards, Momotarou succumbed to an exhausted nap on the futon that got halfway rolled out before he collapsed onto it and began snoring softly.  Feeling drained himself, Haruka covered Momotarou with a blanket and settled down on his own bed, not realizing the moment he fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

 

He woke up to the sound of Momotarou yawning loudly, getting to his feet and shuffling over to his stag beetle.  Still lying in bed with his eyes shut, Haruka listened to Momotarou hum a little song to Pyunsuke as he tended to his pet.  It was difficult to fake being asleep once he realized the other boy had sat down on the futon by his bed and was watching him sleep in silence.  Pretending he had just woken up, he blinked, saw Momotarou smiling warmly at him, and was immediately struck with another bout of blood rushing to his face.

“Good afternoon, Nanase-san!” Momotarou greeted him.  “We slept for a long time, didn’t we?”

Haruka nodded.

“What should we do now?”

Nothing in particular, if Haruka had his way. He usually just sat in the bathtub for four hours at about this time, or he might cook dinner or doodle in his sketchbook for an hour and then sit in the tub for the next three.  But Momotarou needed to be entertained, and so Haruka cast about for ideas that would help the time go by until dinner and bed.  Unfortunately, the only things he could think of involved being quiet and sitting still for long periods of time, and there was no way the younger boy could tolerate that.

Knowing he might regret this later, Haruka asked Momotarou how Pyunsuke was doing.

That took care of two hours handily enough, though to Haruka’s surprise, the time did not drag as much as he would have thought.  Part of that was due to Momotarou convincing him to check his backyard for more beetles as the sun began setting, and once they finished, he was sure they both would have absolutely no trouble going to sleep that night despite having taken a late nap.  After they had determined Pyunsuke would be getting no company, at least from Haruka’s backyard, they spent the rest of the evening with dinner and catching part of a nature documentary on television. 

All in all, a really weird day, Haruka mused to himself as Momotarou got back from brushing his teeth and sleepily wished him good night.  Haruka watched from where he was curled up in his blankets and sheets, observing Momotarou eventually still and quiet, his breaths sounding deep and steady.  Even in his sleep, he looked… vibrant…  Ready to wake up and jump to his feet and shout hello to the world at a moment’s notice.  Haruka had previously thought that sort of attitude would be annoying, because well, it was annoying, with other people.  (Certain classmates from middle school came to mind first.)  And it wasn’t as if Momotarou didn’t annoy him occasionally, always blurting things out loudly without really thinking, his attention jumping all over the place, his impulsive hyperactive behavior a direct contrast to Haruka’s own.  But he strove to stay respectful towards his seniors, and he did his best at swimming, despite the fact that he obviously had not wanted to bear the burden of continuing his brother’s overwhelming legacy.  Even with all of his odd personality quirks, Momotarou had been nothing but genuine and heartfelt in everything he said and did.  For that, Haruka could appreciate him.

(Especially when he was sleeping and not talking. Because Haruka was certain in one day Momotarou had talked the equivalent of Makoto, Nagisa, Rei and Gou over 3 days, and Rei was an extremely fast and loquacious talker.)


	5. Chapter 5

Haruka was not surprised when in the middle of the night, some time after he had gotten out of bed and stepped into his tub wearing his swimsuit and ran the water as quietly as it could go, he heard a soft knock on the bathroom door, and saw Momotarou’s shock of hair as the boy peeped in.

“Nanase-san?  Can I come in?”

Haruka nodded, and Momotarou padded towards him on silent feet, to kneel by the tub and rest his forearms on the rim.  With a soft sigh, Haruka slid further down into the lukewarm water, until it was almost up to the level of his mouth.  Dropping his chin onto his arms, Momotarou watched Haruka for a few moments through heavy-lidded eyes.  

“Nanase-san…  Is it okay?” he eventually asked.

For a second, Haruka did not understand.  But then he recalled that this was Momotarou.  Not exactly a kindred spirit perhaps, something on a different level, beyond explanation or reason or logic.  He somehow felt that this wasn’t odd or unusual, not with Momotarou.  It just… was.

Nodding, Haruka straightened up, hands gripping the side of the tub, as Momotarou shimmied out of his pajama shorts.  Clad in yet another speedo, he climbed into the tub between Haruka’s knees.  It wouldn’t have fit another person much larger, but Momotarou was just slight enough to squeeze in, his back resting against Haruka’s chest, his unruly hair tickling his nose.

His skin where it touched his body was so hot, Haruka thought in surprise.  Hotter than the sun that was Nagisa, or the restless flames that were Rin and Rei.  He wondered if something could be wrong with Momotarou, what sort of furnace might be burning in that body, when something caught his eye.  His dripping fingers clasped onto those thin shoulders and then traced very lightly over the scattered spots and darker blotches spread out across tanned skin.

“Momotarou?” Haruka murmured, quietly fascinated.  

“Yeah, Nanase-san?”

“Did you forget to put on sunblock?”

In a splash of bathwater, Momotarou whirled around, or at least twisted around as much as he could, to stare at Haruka in dismay.  “Oh no! I forgot!  Noooo, nooo…” He clutched at his hair and groaned.  “Do I have a goggles tan, Nanase-san, can you see it?  That’s so uncool!”

Another advantage of swimming indoors instead of outdoors, Haruka noted silently.  “Not really,” he said aloud, trying his best to not smile at the other boy’s distress.  “But you do have freckles now.”

“Also not cool!” Momotarou said, pouting adorably.

Saying nothing, Haruka brought a hand up to Momotarou’s face, the side of his thumb brushing over his freckled cheeks, in his best comforting manner, which granted, wasn’t the best.  Not like Makoto’s.  Still, in response, Momotarou turned the the rest of the way, facing Haruka now, nuzzling into Haruka’s neck with a frustrated sigh.

“Ugh, I hate freckles,” he muttered restlessly into Haruka’s collarbone.

“I think they’re nice,” Haruka replied softly.

Momotarou tilted his chin up to look Haruka in the eye.  “Nanase-san has a great tan, just like big brother.  All I ever get are stupid freckles.  S’not fair.”

“They make you special, then.”

Momotarou ventured a small smile at that.  “I guess so. But still… not fair.”  At least now he looked a little happier as he settled as comfortably as he could against Haruka’s chest.

“Nanase-san?” Momotarou asked after a few wordless minutes.

“Yes?”

“Are you okay like this?”

“I’m fine.  It relaxes me.”

“Mmm.  Me, too.”

But here in the quiet dark, in the cool water, Haruka could sense how both of their hearts continued to beat too fast, too loud, hammering in their chests in wild and helpless harmony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One final cute scene... Thanks for reading and indulging me my ultimate rare pair. I might add a few more short pieces if I think of them, but I think I mostly got my love for these two out of my system... for now. I honestly don't know if Haruka and Momo would start a relationship other than that of friends and mentor/protege, and not just because of the age difference, but they seem to get each other somewhat, which may be the most honest and innocent friendship they might experience during high school.... What do you guys think? Would they stay friends or become boyfriends? No wrong answer here!


	6. Chapter 6

It was that hour right before dawn when Momotarou awoke, refreshed despite the adventures of yesterday.  He didn’t recall too much of the night, just a brief flash in his memory of the two of them squeezed into Haruka’s bathtub.  Oh, and Haruka pointing out his freckles.  Huffing, Momotarou kicked off his blankets restlessly, determined to not forget his sunblock next time, as he could feel his skin still glowing hot from the rays of the sun.  But he thought it was really actually nice to just sit with Haruka, Haruka had been so kind to him the whole time, he did not reject him or make him feel like a stupid kid, even though they were on opposing teams.  Momotarou was beginning to think Rin might have gotten a thing or two wrong about him, if it were possible for his captain, the one his brother entrusted the team to, to be wrong about anything.

Well, then, Rin must have remembered incorrectly.  Haruka was perfect.

Momotarou rolled up to knees, glancing over at Pyunsuke’s jar to see the stag beetle contentedly shuffling around the leaves and dirt.  Then he scooted over to Haruka, wondered if it were okay to wake him up now and finally deciding it would be better to not disturb him until maybe after the sun rose.  Momotarou was just about to head back to his futon when he heard a stifled cry coming from the bed.  In an instant, he moved to Haruka’s side, noticing the tense, pained look on his face.  He must be having a nightmare, Momotarou thought, but he could not remember if he should wake someone from their nightmares, or if that would shorten their lifespan, which he certainly did not want to do.  Conflicted, wracking his brain, he bit his lower lip, not wanting to see Haruka clearly upset by whatever haunted his dreams but not sure of what to do.

Finally, unable to think of anything else, Momotarou reached out to hold Haruka’s hand, and before he could regret his decision, before he could pull his hand back, Haruka’s fingers tightened over his own, and now neither could let go.  He squeezed the paler hand gently, reassuringly.

“H-haruka-san…” Momotarou whispered as softly as he could, wondering a little too late if it was proper to use his name like that.  “Come back,” he breathed.   “Don’t go where we can’t find you.  Come back to us.”  He murmured that over and over, like a prayer, until Haruka finally relaxed, his fingers loosening their grip.  Momotarou did not let go however.  There was still a slight crease of anxious fear between Haruka’s brows, and his lashes glittered dark and wet in the faint light, but the tension had at last drained from his face and his breathing sounded even and calm.

Momotarou stayed kneeling by the bedside for a few minutes, resting his chin on his one free hand, watching Haruka intently. 

When Haruka opened his eyes a little while later, Momotarou made a little noise of surprise, craning forward to look at him closely in the growing daylight. 

“Momo?” Haruka muttered, blinking sleepily.

“Hey!”

“Were you… watching me sleep?  Why weren’t you sleeping?”

“Nanase-san!” Momotarou exclaimed, his built-up worry casting all other concerns to the side.  “Y-you were having a nightmare, but I didn’t know if I should wake you up, because I don’t want you to die early, so I held on to your hand, you know that’s what sea otters do, hold each other’s paws while they sleep---“

“Yeah… to keep from floating away into the ocean.”

“Y-yeah!”  His voice cracking, Momotarou began to cry big round tears that rolled down his face and over his collarbones.  “I don’t want you to get lost, Nanase-san…” he added as soon as he could speak again.

“I’m right here, I’m not going anywhere, not even in my dreams.”  Haruka shook the hand in his own gently.  “I won’t go without you, Momo.”

“Really?!” Momotarou’s eyes widened comically, and his cheeks flushed red.  “Promise?” he asked insistently.

“I promise,” Haruka told him.

“But what if we both get lost?”

“We’ll find home together.  We’ll just follow the sound of Rin’s voice.”

“Are you talking about me, huh?!”  Rin had opened the door on the two of them, looking spectacularly irritated.  “Haru, by the way, you really need to lock your front door at night.  You never know who could barge in.”

“Really,” Haruka muttered dryly.

“Rin-senpai!”  Momotarou waved his other hand in greeting.  “Good morning!”

“Hey, Momo.  Wow, you are clearly not ready to go home, you’re not even dressed.”

“Nooooo… I don’t wanna go home!  I wanna stay here!!!”

“We have class tomorrow and I know you haven’t finished your homework, let’s go Momo!”

“Nanase-san, save me!” Momotarou yelled out in mock distress as Rin began to advance on him.

Haruka’s expression did not change until the moment Rin pounced on Momotarou who leaped onto Haruka’s lap, causing all three of them to slide off the bed with the momentum and crash into the wall in a loud heap.  Eventually, despite the bruised elbows and knees, Rin and Momotarou were making their way back to Samezuka, and from his doorstep, Haruka watched them walk to the station.  His eyes followed the restless flames of their hair tossed by the breeze, his ears picking out their spirited banter for as long as possible, until they turned off the road and he could no longer see nor hear either one.  Then he closed the door and retreated into the restored quiet of his house.  Nothing had changed for Haruka; all ended as it should have ended.

But he did smile to himself when he saw the seashells Momotarou had found for him at the beach.  When he touched them, he thought he could feel the sun-warmed ocean waters again, the heat of a boy’s fingers curled around his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't mind me, just indulging myself and my ultra rare pair vignettes, so good, so pure. I think I figured out a bittersweet ending which I'll work on after I give the rest of the in progress fics the good old college try. Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Because I enjoy ultimate rare pair hell, just a little bit about them inspired by the OVA and the 1 second of interaction they have.


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